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No. 623,172. Patent ed Apr. l8, I899.

T. J. MURPHY &. B. F. NEILSDN.

' JUNCTION BOX.

(Application filed Dec. 9, 189B.)

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No. 623,I72. Patented Apr. la, I899. T. J. MURPHY & B. F. NEILSON.

JUNCTION BOX.

(Application flIBd DOC. 9, 1898.)

4 Sheets-8haat 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 623,!72. Patented Apr. l8, I899. T. J. MURPHY &. B. F. NEILSON.

JUNCTION BOX.

(Applicntion filed Dec. 9, 1898.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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No. 623,l72. Q Patented Apr. l8 I899.

T. J. MURPHY 8:. B. F. NEILSON.

JUNCTION BOX. 7

(Applicltion filed Dec. 9, 1898.)

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(No Model.)

K8 3% L 29 26 i m \L r -1 Q Q L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. MURPHY AND BENJAMIN F. NEILSON, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.; SAID NEILSON ASSIGNOR TO SAID MURPHY.

JUNCTION-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 623,172, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed December 9, 1898. $erial No. 698,799. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. MURPHY, residing in the borough of Manhattan, and BENJAMIN F. NEILsON, residing. in the borough of Queens, city of New York, State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in J unction-Boxes, of which the follow ing is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrical junction-boxes.

In modern buildings provided with electric lights it has been the general custom to install in the walls of the building while in process of construction one or more junction-boxes for the entire building or for the respective lioors or sections thereof and to which the main-line wires are led, the consumption-circuits being extended out from the junctionbox and being fed from the mains. The dictates of modern architectural construction demand that these junction-boxes should be highly ornamental in appearance, and it is generally the custom to make the main portions of the box of slate or polished marble, which at the same time alfords the necessary insulation, and to carry within the box the electrical connections-such as the contacts, switches, &c.--which are generally made of polished copper. It has been found that these junction-boxes when being placed in position in a building during its construction become badly disfigured by workmen, and their appearanceis frequently marred by plaster, &c.

It is the object of our invention to provide a j unction-box which is made in sections, one of said sections comprising the main part of the box, as the sides and a portion of the bottom, carrying the terminals of the main wires and for the supply-circuits, and the other of said sections carrying the intermediate connections between the mains and supply-circuits, which intermediate connections may comprise the main switch, the auxiliary switches for the consumption-circuits, and the usual safety-fuses. With such a sectional junction-box the main portion thereof may be placed in the walls of the building during the construction thereof and all the wires both of the main and the consumption circuits connected up. After the building has been finished the other section of the box may then be placed in position and the proper connections made between the main terminals and the terminals of the consumption-circuits. In this way, therefore,we provide a box wherein that portion thereof which requires the greatest protection from injury or other damage may be applied in position at the last moment.

The preferred embodiment of our invention comprises a junction-box whereof the sides and a" portion of the bottom will be placed in position during the construction of the building, such portion of the bottom having attached thereto the proper terminals for the main wires and for the consumption-circuits. The remaining portion of the bottom of said box will be removable and carries the connections intermediate of the mains and consumption-circuits, having when desired the usual main switch and the secondary switches for the consumption-circuits. After the removable section of the box has been placed in position proper connections be tween the electrical devices carried thereby and the main and supply circuit terminals will be made by means of the usual fusible wire, and by reason of the flexible character of such a connection exact alinement between the parts carried by the movable section and by the stationary portion of the bottom need not be secured. Vith such a device the main portion of the junction-box is at all times readily removed by simply removing the safety-catches, and such portion will therefore be easy of repair and can be replaced by other sections having different electrical connections when desired.

Our invention is applicable to either single or double j unction-boxest'. 6., to those boxes comprising simply a rectangular insulated casing containing the electrical connections or to those boxes comprising two rectangular insulated casings with an airspace between them and the inner casing carrying the electrical connections.

In order that our invention may be better understood, attention is directed to the following drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of asingle junctionbox embodying our present invention, showing the connect-ions therein for a three-wire main system and for two two-wire consumption-circuits; Fig. 2, an elevation, partly in section, of the same; Fig. 3, a plan view of a double box embodying our present improvements,illustrating the connections with a twowire main circuit and four two-wire consumption-circuits. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bracket used in supporting the walls of the inner section of the box shown in'Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a plan view of a single box with the removable section removed, illustrating the connections from a three-wire main circuit to four two-wire consnmption-circuits; Fig. 6, a plan view of the removable section of the box shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a plan view, partly in section, of the box shown in Fig. 3, illustrating the outer door of the same; and Fig. 8, a cross-sectional view of Fig. 7.

In all of the above views corresponding parts are represented by the same numerals of reference.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 represents a general box-like structure the walls whereof are made of some insulating material, such as slate or marble, and 2 3 the bottom of said box, also made of insulating material. The section 3 of this box is permanently secured in place and carries the terminals 1 4c 4 of the supplymains and the terminals 5 5 and 6 6 of the consumption circuits. In the present instance it will be observed that the supplymains constitute part of an ordinary threewire Edison system, and the two consumption-circuits are ordinary two-wire circuits. The section 2 of the box carries the terminals '7 7 7, which are arranged in line with the terminals +1 of the main circuit, and also the terminals S S and 9 9, which are connected with the terminals 7 by means of fiat copper bars 10, which for purposes of ornamentation are generally of polished copper. We illustrate two secondary knife-edge switches 11 11,which are also carried on the section 2 of the bottom and which switches close the circuit between the terminals 8 S and 9 9 to terminals 12 12 and 13 13. During the course of construction of a building the box 1, carrying the section 33 at the bottom, is placed in position, and the proper connections are made between the mains and supply-circuits. After the building has been iinished and when there is no danger of the ornamental parts of the box becoming injured the section 2 is placed in position and secured in any way, such as by screws 11. Ordinary safety-fuses 15 are now put in to connect the terminals i 7 5 5 and 12 12 and 6 6 and 13 13. Owing to the flexible character of these safety-fuses it is not necessary to provide for exact alinement between the adjacent terminals. By making a box having a sectional bottom, as we have explained, it is not only possible to place the ornamental parts of the box in position after a building has been finished and without in any way retarding the wiring of the building or the connections between the wires and the box; but it is also possible when desired to remove the main portions of the box whenever the same become damaged and to replace the same with new parts. In Fig. 3 we show a very similar arrangement, except that a double box is used, an outer casing 16 being employed, with an air-space 17 between the same and the inner box 1. In this form of device the bottom is made of four sections, as shown; but it is only necessary that one of them, such as the section 2, should be removable. In this box the main terminals 1 ii: are supplied by an ordinary two-wire system, electrical connections being employed, which need not be described since they are obvious, for supplying from such main terminals the current to four two-wire consumption-circuits. In this form of the invention the secondary switches 11 are dispensed with; but, as in the form of device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the terminals on the removable section 2 are connected with the terminals on the stationary sections of the bottom by safetycatches, as shown.

In order to sustain the sides of the box 1 within the outer casing 16, we prefer to employ corner-brackets 18 (shown in Fig. 1) and which are of novel construction. Each of said brackets comprises an angular body part 19, fitting on the outside of each corner of the box 1 and having arms 20, with screw-holes 21 therein for receiving screws 22, which enter the sides of said box. The bracket is'also provided with an outwardly-extending horizontal flat arm 23, having a screw-hole 24-, which receives a screw 25, engaging the bottom of the outer casing 16. These brackets may be of ornamental metal and add to rather than detract from the general appearance of the boxes.

In Figs. 5 and (i we illustrate a box very similar to that shown in Fig. 1, except that the terminals at of the main wires feed current to the terminals for the GOIIStllllIJijlOll-CIY- cuits at each side of the box.

In Figs. 7 and 8 we illustrate the preferred embodiment of our invention as applied to a double box, where the terminals 1 -1- connect a two-wire main circuit wit-h the desired number of consumption-circuits. In this form of the invention the casing 10 is provided with an outer cover 26, which is ornamented in any suitable way and which cover is preferably provided with a door 27, opening at its central part and swinging on a hinge 28, whereby the interior of the box 1 may be reached when desired. Usually the door 27 is provided with a panel 29, through which the ornamental parts of the box 1 maybe observed.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1, An improved junction-box having a removable section carrying the conductors which connect the main circuit with one or IIC I more consumption-circuits, terminals on said removable section, stationary terminals carried by the junction-box, and flexible safetyfuses connecting the stationary terminals With the movable terminals, substantially as set forth. I

2. An improved junction-box comprising an outer casing, a box Within said casing, a sectional bottom for said box, one of said sections being removable, main-circuit terminals and consumption-circuit terminals carried by the stationary section of said bottom, condoctors for connecting the main-circuit terminals With the consumption-circuit terminals carried by the removable section of said bottom, terminals on said removable section connected to said conductors, and means for electrically connecting the stationary terminals With the terminals on said removable section, substantially as set forth.

An improved junction-box comprising an outer casing, a box Within said casing, a sectional bottom for said box, one of said sect-ions being removable, main-circuit termiwardly-extending arm secured to the bottom of the outer casing, and a cover for said outer casing, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 2d dayof July, 1898.

THOMAS J. MURPHY. BENJAMIN F. NEILSON. Witnesses:

JNo. R. TAYLOR, ARCHIE G. REESE. 

